Outgoing White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove waves as he leaves the White House in Washington, Friday, Aug. 31, 2007, on his last day as President Bush's deputy chief of staff. (AP Photo/Ron... (Associated Press)

(Newser)
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The droves of White House aides who have left in recent months are a largely weary, angry bunch troubled by the administration's legacy, especially in Iraq, the Washington Post reports. "It constantly looms," said one former staffer of the war. Relentless criticism of the administration has taken its toll, others say, making already difficult jobs that much harder.

Karl Rove admits guilt over leaving President Bush in the middle of a war but says he doesn't feel sorry for himself. Another, Peter Wehner, has lost friends who "think he drank the Kool-Aid." Meghan O'Sullivan, an ex-adviser on Iraq, says she still has bad dreams of the war. "I woke up and thought, 'When do you think this will end?' "